Corn popping machine



April 27, 1937. F. 1. ROACH 2,078,719

CORN POPPING MACHINE Filed July 15, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR, flaya Z l aac/z' ATTORNEY-5.

April 27, 1937. F. I. ROACH CORN POPPING MACHINE Filed July 13, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY 5.

Patented Apr. 27, 1937 OFFICE i 11 Claims.

is to provide in corn popping machines, a group of mechanical elements. the major portion of which are operated when the coin slide of the machine is manually manipulated, said elements all being compactly assembled and combined in a unique manner so that a more efiicient machine isproduced.

A yet further aim of the instant invention is to provide a corn popping machine, having as one of its most important parts, a multiple hopper, the bottom of which is formed of a plurality of heating elements upon which the unpopped kernels of corn must rest while the machine is operating, said unpopped kernels and the heating ele .ments both being bodily submerged below the level of a volume of liquid so that the corn may be popped without agitation and without danger of burning.

A still further object of the invention is to provide improvements in the process of popping corn which include the steps of segregating a relatively small amount of popping oil from a larger amount within a reservoir thereof, and then applyingheat to the lower portion of the segregated smaller volume so that com may be popped in an appreciable amount of popping oil without the necessity of raising the temperature of the entire volume thereof high enough to effect popping oi' the corn. I r

The machine contemplated by this invention includes a large number of specific structural details, all of which form minor objects of the invention, and such objects will manifest themselves by a reading of the following specification, referring to the accompanying drawings,

, wherein V the hopper, taken on line V-V of Fig. 1', and,

Fig. 6 is a wiring diagramillustrating the man-' ance wire of conventional characteristics.

ner in which the heating elements are supplied with current.

' Corn popping machines of the nature embodying the present invention should include the conventional case8, formed of sheet metal and provided with windows ID, if desired. A delivery chute i2 extends exteriorly of case 8 so that the popped corn might be carried to a point accessible to the operator, and a reservoir i4, filled with popping oil it to the level -I8, is housed by a case 10 8. A tank 20, joined to reservoir It by the goose neck 22 and pipe 25, automatically maintains level is so long as there is a supply of popping oil in tank 20. Hopper 26, swingably mounted upon a shaft '28, is movable from the position shown in full lines of Fig. 1 to the two positions shown in dotted lines of said figure.

This hopper is a specially formed part of the machine and comprises parallel sides 30 and inclined ends 32 that converge toward each other as the lower portion of hopper 26 is approached. This hopper is open at its top so that a charge of corn may be dropped thereinto when the hopper assumes the proper position, and the otherwise open bottom of hopper 2B is partially closed by a plurality of heating elements 36, connected in a circuit with switch 36 that makes and breaks the circuit as the machine is operated.

Heating elements 34 may be merely strips of insulating material extending in parallelism across the bottom of hopper 26 and wound with resist- The distance apart of heating elements 34 should not be great enough to permit unpopped kernels 01' com 38 to. drop out of hopper 28, and when hopper 2B is in the normal position, walls 30 and 32 and heating elements 34 set oil or segregate a small quantity of oil l6, which is quickly heated to a temperature high enough to pop kernels 38 without the necessity of raising the temperature 4 of all of the popping oil.

In corn popping machines wherein my method of popping corn is employed, a small amount of oil is carried out of the reservoir each time a charge of. corn is popped. Popping the com throughstructure just mentioned does not require the heating of a large volume of oil, and

as. the small quantity of oil confined within hopper 26 is consumed or removed by the poppingkernels, an additional amount is supplied through the interstices between heating elements 34.

A' spirally wound, thermostatic strip 40 is mounted within 'hopper 26 between level l8 and heating elements 34 so that the temperature of the relatively small quantity-oi oil governs its hopper 26.

action. One end'of thermostatic strip it is secured to stub shaft 52, while the other end is anchored as at 44 directly to one side 30 of As the temperature rises and falls, strip 40 will rotate shaft 42 and move latch member 46 to and from a position where it may be engaged by pin 48. A spring 50, anchored at its one end as at 52, and having its free end bearing against one of the inclined sides 32 of hopper 26, has a tendency to lift hopper 26 to the intermediate position as soon as latch 66 is disengaged from pin t8. After spring 59 has so functioned, manual manipulation of coin slide 5% may move hopper 26 to the dumping position.

Coin slide 54 is of the conventional type well known in the art and the same is operatively joined to shaft 28 through the medium of arm 56 and notched plate 53. Arm 56 is mounted upon shaft 28 and in engagement with notched plate 58 so that as slide 5% is reciprocated, shaft 28 is rotated to move hopper 26. A continuation of slide 5 2 is reciprocably journalled in a bearing 60, and a pin 62 thereon engages bifurcated arm 66 of spring 36. Switch 38 is of the snap type so as to effect quick make and break.

Means for introducing a charge of unpopped corn into hopper 26 is disposed above the latter and comprises a measuring throat tt, having upper and lower slides 68 and it respectively, that are alternately in a position to close throat 66. A link 82, pivotally mounted intermediate its ends, joints slides 68 and it and an arm M is connected to lower slide it and also to the extended portion of slide 5 through the medium of a pin it that extends through slot it.

Operation Assuming that the parts of the machine have just reached the positions illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, it is obvious that com 38, submerged in the small quantity of popping oil and supported directly by heating elements Sid, will quickly pop without agitation and without burning. This popping will project the popped kernels upwardly above the surface of oil it where they will remain by flotation until the entire charge is popped. The temperature reached by that small quantity of popping oil above elements 3 5 will always be the same after the charge of corn 38 is popped. Heat from element 3 3 will rise and very little increase in temperature of the large volume of oil will occur. When the aforesaid temperature has been attained, latch to will be withdrawn from engagement with pin 68 because of the action of coiled thermostat strip it upon shaft 42. As soon as the latch is released, spring 50 will have an opportunity of exerting its force upon hopper 26 and the latter will be carried immediately to the intermediate position. As hopper 26 is so carried to that position, slide 54 that has all the while been at one end of its path of travel, will be moved toward the other end of its path of travel.

As slide Ed is so moved, pin 62 will open switch 36, but the corn feed arm M will not be moved because of the freedom which slot 78 permits. However, when the parts are in the intermediate position, pin it will be at the end of slot 18, and when the operator desires to dump the popped corn into delivery chute l2, arm M will be pulled along to bring slide ill into throat 66 as slide 68 is withdrawn. The parts of the machine are now in position where a coin must be inserted in order to move slide 54 back to the point of beaoravro ginning, and when such is done, hopper 26 will be returned to the normal position, switch 36 will be closed, and lower slide 10 will be opened to permit the introduction of a charge of corn. But one form of the corn popping machine is exemplified by the accompanying drawings, and it is obvious to one skilled in the art that the concepts of the invention might be built into machines of widely varying characteristics.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured b Letters Patent is: 1. In a corn popping machine, the combination of a reservoir for popping oil; a hopper movable to and from a position within the reservoir; and a plurality of heating elements forming a bottom for the said hopper for supporting the unpopped kernels of corn.

2. In a corn popping machine, the combination of a reservoir for popping oil; a hopper mov-, able to and from a position within the reservoir; a plurality of-heating elements forming a support for the kernels of unpopped corn at the lower portion of the hopper; and means for maintaining the oil level above the heating elements when the hopper is in said position within the reservoir.

3. In a corn popping machine, the combination of a reservoir for popping oil; a hopper movable to and from a position within the reservoir; a plurality of heating elements forming a support for the kernels of unpopped corn and co-operating with the side walls of the hopper in setting ed a relatively small volume of oil for submerging the kernels; and means for simultaneously moving the hopper to said position within the reservoir and connecting said heating elements with a source of curent.

a In 'a corn popping machine, the combination of a reservoir for popping oil; a hopper movable to and from a position within the reservoir; means for so moving the hopper; a plurality of heating elements forming 'a support for the kernels of corn below the surface of the popping oil when the hopper is in said position; a circuit for connecting the heating elements to a source of energy; and a switch, operable by the means for moving the hopper, for closing the circuit when the hopper is moved to said position and for opening the circuit when the hopper is moved from the said position.

5. In a corn popping machine, the combination of a reservoir for popping oil; a hopper movable to and from a position within the reservoir; manually operable means for so moving the hopper; a plurality of heating elements forming a bottom for the hopper and positioned below the normal surface of the popping oilwhen the hopper is in said position, said heating elements and side walls of the hopper serving to set ofi a relatively smallamount of popping oil from that held in the reservoir; releasable means for maintaining the hopper in said position; and a thermostat within the hopper and submerged in the said small amount of popping oil when the corn is being popped, said thermostat serving to release the means for maintaining the hopper in place within the reservoir.

6. In a corn popping machine, the combination of a reservoir for popping oil; a hopper movable to and from a position within the reservoir; manually operable means for so moving the hopper; a plurality of heating elements forming a bottom for the hopper and positioned below the normal surface of the popping oil when the hopper is in said position, said heating elements and side walls of the hopper serving to set off a relatively small amount of popping oil from that held in the reservoir; releasable means for maintaining the hopper in said position; and a thermostat within the hopper and submerged in the said small amount of popping oil when the corn is being popped, said thermostat serving to release the means for maintaining the hopper in place within the reservoir, said hopper having a spring for lifting the same out of the oil in the reservoir when the maintaining means is released by said thermostat.

'7. In a corn popping machine, the combination of a reservoir for popping oil; a hopper movable to and from a position within the reservoir; manually operable means for somoving the hopper; a plurality of heating elements forming a bottom for the hopper and positioned below the normal surface of the popping oil when the hopper is in said position, said heating elements and side walls of the hopper serving to set oif a relatively small amount of popping oil fromthat held in the reservoir; releasable means for maintaining the hopper in said position; and a thermostat within the hopper and submerged in the said small amount of popping oil when the corn is being popped, said thermostat serving to release the means for maintaining the hopper in place within the reservoir, said hopper having a spring for lifting the same out of the oil in the reservoir when the maintaining means is released by said thermostat, said manually operable means for moving the hopper being moved in one direction by said spring as the hopper is so lifted.

8. In a corn popping machine, the combination of a reservoir for popping oil; a hopper movable to and from a position within the reservoir; a coin slide in connection with thehopper for so moving the hopper; means for introducing a charge of corn to the popper in connection with" the said coin slide; a plurality of heating elements forming a bottom for the hopper; a circuit for supplying energy to the heating elements; and a switch for opening and closing the circuit in connection with the coin slide whereby upon manual manipulation of the slide to move it in one direction the hopper is moved to operative position, a charge of corn is introduced into the hopper and the circuit is closed.

9. In a corn popping machine, the combination of a reservoir for popping oil; a hopper movable to and from a position within the reservoir; a plurality of spaced-apart heating elements forming a bottom for the hopper; a circuit for supplying electrical energy to the heating elementsya switch to open and close the circuit as the hopper is moved from and to a normal position within the reservoir where the said heating elements are disposed below the surface of the popping oil; and a latch for releasably holding the hopper in said normal position.

10. In a corn popping machine, the combination of a reservoir for popping oil; a hopper movable to and from a position within the reservoir; a plurality of spaced-apart heating elements forming a bottom for the hopper; a circuit for supplying electrical energy to the heating elements; a switch to open and close the circuit as the hopper is moved from and to a normal position within the reservoir where the said heating elements are disposed below the surface of the popping oil; a latch for releasably holding the hopper in said normal position; and a thermostatis strip within the hopper between the said heating elements and surface of the oil when the hopper is in the normal position, for releasing the latch when the temperature of the oil above the heating elements reaches a predetermined temperature.

11. In a corn popping machine, the combination of a reservoir for popping oil; a hopper movable to and from a. position within the reservoir; a plurality of spaced-apart heating elements forming a bottom for the hopper; a circuit for supplying electrical energy to the heating elements; 2. switch to open and close the circuit as the hopper is moved from and to a normal position within the reservoir where the said heating elements are disposed below the surface of the' popping oil; a latch for releasably holding the hopper in said normal position; and a spirally wound thermostatic strip within the hopper in connection with the latch to operate the same as the strip expands and contracts.

FLOYD I. ROACH. 

